ARTICLES ABOUT AHMEDABAD BY DATE - PAGE 2

MUMBAI: Mumbai-based realty developer Hiranandani Constructions has acquired a 30-acre land parcel near Sanathal junction on SG highway close to Ahmedabad and is looking to develop a mixed-use project with an investment of nearly Rs 1,000 crore. Construction work for the project, which will include an IT park and a financial services' hub, is expected to start from March. "The total investment, including around Rs 200 crore towards the cost of land, will be made over the next five +years," Niranjan Hiranandani, MD of Hiranandani Constructions, told ET. For now, the company will finance the project through internal accruals and will look at institutional funding while commencing work.

KOLKATA: Indians living abroad and private investors have taken a fancy for acquiring and restoring heritage buildings and palaces in the old city of Ahmedabad. They are not only interested in preservation, but also in converting them into profit-making centres such as studio apartments and shops. Chandrakant Doria of Nairobi, Kenya, bought the 150-year old Sunilbhai Haveli near the walled city of Ahmedabad for Rs 80 lakh. Chetan R Shah, a private investor, acquired the campus of BD College of Arts and Home Science at Sankdi Sheri for Rs 15 crore.

LUCKNOW: Fresh confrontation seems to be brewing between the Samajwadi Party-ruled UP and the BJP administration in Gujarat, with UP CM Akhilesh Yadav saying he will personally go to Ahmedabad after the local administration removed some of the posters put up by the state inviting investors to come to UP. "All we did was publicise our achievements and state's strength for doing business and tourism. There would be a large number of visitors and investors coming (for Vibrant Gujarat and Pravasi Bhartiya Divas)

AHMEDABAD/BHOPAL: Wielding batons and iron rods, nearly two dozen Bajrang Dal activists today vandalised theatres screening Aamir Khan blockbuster 'PK' here for making "fun" of Hindu Gods and godmen as protests were also reported from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal. Angry at the theatre owners ignoring the 'diktat' not to screen the movie that has raised the hackles of a plethora of Hindu organisations, volunteers of the outfit descended on City Gold Multiplex and Shiv theatre on Ashram Road, smashing glass panes at ticket windows to smithreens and tearing down posters.

AHMEDABAD : Indian Institute of Management -Ahmedabad today announced a tie-up with three corporate houses -- CRISIL , ATS Infra and SAP -- for research in financial markets, infrastructure and entrepreneurship. "I am thankful to CRISIL and ATS Infra for establishing chairs (research initiatives faculty) in financial markets and infrastructure, respectively. "The desire of SAP, which will also establish a chair, to foster spirit of entrepreneurship is in line with IIM-A's long-term goals, and we are delighted to partner with them," IIM-Ahmedabad Director Ashish Nanda told reporters here.

MUMBAI; Rating agency Crisil has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) to set up a Chair of Financial Markets at the business school. The purpose of the professional chair is to enable research activities that can help financial markets evolve and function better, the agency said in a statement. "We believe that collaboration between industry and academia is critical for enhancing our understanding of the financial markets and spot the next growth opportunities.

VADODARA: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today said work on the Rs 10,000-crore Ahmedabad- Gandhinagar Metro rail project , which is awaiting approval from the Centre, will begin soon. Patel was speaking at inauguration of the ninth edition of the Mega Industrial Exhibition of Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (VCCI) at Navlakhi compound here. The Chief Minister said the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro project is on track and is being promoted with the objective of providing safe, fast and eco-friendly transportation services to the public at affordable rates while simultaneously reducing congestion on roads.

NEW DELHI: Office space absorption rose by 36 per cent in eight major cities to 24.23 million sq ft during the first nine months of this year as corporates leased more space for expanding their operations, a report said. Ahmedabad witnessed the maximum surge in office space absorption as the city reported more than three-fold jump in leasing at 11,39,100 sq ft of area during January-September 2014 as against 3,56,590 sq ft in the same period last year, according to property consultant Cushman & Wakefield.

AHMEDABAD: More than 12 lakh cable television subscribers in the city were unable to watch tv today due a 'black-out' by operators in protest against the introduction of 'Star Package' by a private broadcaster. More than 1,000 cable operators stopped the telecast of all the channels today; the black-out will continue tomorrow too, said Dalsukh Patel, president of Ahmedabad Cable Operators Welfare and Charitable Trust, a apex body of cable operators in the city, which collectively cater to over 12 lakh subscribers.

NEW DELHI: India FoodBanking Network, headed by Sam Pitroda , plans to set up two food banks in Ahmedabad and Mumbai this year to feed the poor. Food banks are set up to store food products nearing expiry date that are donated by big manufacturers for distribution to the organisations working towards eliminating hunger. India FoodBanking Network, an arm of Food Security Foundation India , is working in the area of food security in collaboration with the government, private sector and NGOs.